Test drive Audi A4 B5 1994 - 2001 sedan

Love your enemy

The landfill was attended by two Mercedes, E and S class; Two Audi A4 with engines 1.8 and 2.8 liters; The full model gamut of Volvo, from 460 to 960, and the BMW set is several tremors, the old and new seven and on the applied M3 appetizer with the engine of 286 liters. With.


Pokatushki started only for BMW dealers, but Volvo also dragged her sellers to the watering ground, so the program had to be stretched for 2 days.


As often happens in responsible moments, it was raining in the morning. But the slush more puzzled not the participants in the pokatushki, but their organizers and staff of the training ground. The latter wondered how many cars would have to be evacuated.


Two tracks were selected the so -called mountain road and a speed ring 14 km long. The passages with the maximum speed were not of particular interest, and the attraction of the Russian hills, of course, caused universal excitement. This was just the organizers and were afraid. And if you take into account that the track was wet, they can be understood.


We were interested not just to ride on long -known cars, but to try to compare them. Unfortunately, nothing came of this. For a more or less objective comparison, it is necessary to have cars with a large number of equal parameters. For example, it would be interesting to compare the BMW and Audi A4 three, but the modifications did not coincide with either the engines or the degree of wear. The 740th BMW did not correlate with the 320th Mercedes, etc.


Therefore, we did not find anything new. Throats remained threek. Although once again it should be noted excellent reactions in the BMW 320 Touring station wagon. Its excellent handling was noted, it seems, even competitors. The already familiar Mercedes S-320 also adapted well on the highway completely inappropriate for him. Due to his soft suspension, he swayed like a boat on the waves, causing passengers to attacks the seasickness, but confidently fit into the steep turns of the mountain road.


Two Audi aroused common interest. True, objectively evaluating cars was interfered with their decent mileage. And if on A4 2.8 this was not much felt, then the suspension on A4 1.8, which survived certification at the training ground, was completely killed. But we must pay tribute to the machines. Despite everything, both decently kept the road, and their reaction to manipulating the brake seemed to be better than even BMW. A more powerful all -wheel drive version made it possible to pass the mountain roads at a very decent speed. The car began to be demolished only on irregularities, but the reason, apparently, lies in the same murdered pendant.


With VOLVO cars was not at all interesting. There, such a strict gentleman commanded the parade that we could not disperse the car to the speed when he already needs a driver. I don’t know what this gentleman was hiding, but it seemed that the cars of the Swedish concern simply could not drive faster. Although, of course, Test-Drive was still not arranged for journalists.


But be that as it may, two days in the fresh air, especially since in the end the weather corrected, is a wonderful Week -End.
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 06/96]